Beauty Through a Child's Eyes
by batbaby
Summary: When Peeta meets Katniss for the first time, he tells his father all about it. Written for Day 1 of Prompts in Panem. Primose: Childhood


Day 1: Primrose "Childhood"

"She sounded so pretty Daddy! I swear no one dared to talk after she started singing!" The little blond haired boy exclaimed, his arm swinging wildly in his father's. "You said her daddy sang like that too! I wish I could sing like them."

Peeta's father laughed, smiling down at his youngest son. "Well, you do know how to draw really well, Peeta, that's your talent, hers is singing."

Peeta looked up at his father, his deep blue eyes big and suddenly sad when he asked, "Mommy doesn't think so. She thinks it's a waste of time."

Oliver Mellark stopped in his tracks and bent down to look in his son's eyes, "No matter what your mother says, never stop drawing, that is your talent and you are great at it, someday it will help us out, she'll see."

"Really, Daddy? Because mommy tears up a lot of my drawings." Oliver could see the pain in his child's face and he knew his wife had no patience for creativity, but he knew better, he knew that sometime in the future, Peeta's skill would come in handy.

"Well, then you can hide them in my desk when you're done with them, okay? We'll keep them there, keep them safe." He replied matter-of-factly, patting his shoulders with both hands.

The little boy's blond curls shook as he disagreed, "What if she catches me drawing and takes it away from me before I can put them away?"

Oliver stood back up, thinking about how to answer. "Well, you may lose a few, but we can try to save most of them. Okay? That sound good?"

Peeta brightened at the thought of not losing too many more of his drawings. It was his favorite thing to do when he was at home and couldn't help his father in the bakery.

"So, tell me about the girl who was singing; what's her name?"

"Oh! Daddy, her name is Katniss. She can sing and she's so pretty too, Daddy. I want to marry her when I grow up." The excitement in the five-year-old's voice was amusing to his father.

"Well, let's not go that far just yet. Did you talk to her at all today?"

Peeta shook his head wildly, curls going everywhere and his cheeks going bright red at the thought, "Noooo. She's too pretty."

Oliver laughed, his youngest son was never one to be shy, so he must really be smitten on this girl. But how could he not? Oliver himself had once been in love with her mother. "Tell you what I'll do, Peeta. Tomorrow, I'll give you extra cookies so that you can sit with her at lunchtime and give her some, share with her, show her what a nice boy you are, okay?"

Peeta ducked his head down, looking at his feet while he walked, "I'll try, Daddy."

"That's good. Now let's get home so you can help me make those cookies." The pair of them raced back to the bakery, where they spent the next hour making plain sugar cookies so that Peeta could put flowers made of frosting on them. Even so young, he had a gift for that.

The next day, at lunch, Peeta spotted Katniss sitting by herself at a table. He wasn't sure why, so many of the kids had clapped loudly when she had finished singing yesterday. But it did make his task easier. He would only embarrass himself in front of her, no one else, though it felt like everyone was watching him walk to her table. Peeta took a deep breath and stood next to the empty chair next to her.

He cleared his little throat and asked quietly, "Can I sit here?"

When she looked up at him, her gray eyes caught his attention. Her voice wasn't the only thing that would mesmerize him apparently. He had seen gray eyes; they were usually what people from the Seam, the other side of town, had. But hers were so pretty and clear and darkening at him. She shrugged and he gladly pulled out the chair and sat next to her. He carefully unpacked his lunch, just some bread with nuts and raisins in it and opened his juice box, making sure to put the small bag of cookies where she would see them. And he saw when she did.

"Do you want one? My daddy and I made them last night." He said proudly as he watched her take a bite of the meat and cheese she had with her. He so rarely had meat and if they did, it was only for dinner, never any left for lunches the next day. "What are you eating?"

The dark haired girl looked down at her own lunch, "Ummm, rabbit and some cheese that my daddy traded for. Do you want to try some, trade for a cookie?"

"Oh, it doesn't have to be a trade; we made extra for ….today." Peeta stuttered, almost admitting to the girl that they were made especially for her.

"Why? Is today special?" She asked, tearing off a bit of the rabbit and holding it out for him. Peeta opened up the cookie bag and took one out for her.

"No, well, maybe. We just made them and Daddy said I should share with someone I like." He placed the cookie on top of her lunch box and when he went to grab the meat from her, he felt a charge go through him. Kind of like when he walked around in just his socks and then touched the steel counter in the kitchen. Katniss must have felt it too, because she gave him a look of shock before she pulled her hand away. They didn't say anything, just ate in silence for the rest of their lunch period, well almost to the end of it anyway.

"Will you always make cookies to bring to school?" Katniss asked quietly as they were getting their trash gathered, watching Peeta as he carefully played with the napkin in his hands.

He shook his head, feeling his cheeks getting warmer but gathered courage from deep inside his small stomach, "Maybe, if you want me to."

Katniss giggled and Peeta looked up at her with wide eyes. She smiled at him and stood up, "Only if you like me then."

She walked away from him, but Peeta knew what she said wasn't to be mean, not with the smile she had and he somehow also knew that someday he would make more than just cookies for her. Especially if she always smiled at him the way she just had.


End file.
